Unexpected Meeting
by BlossomOfEdelweiss
Summary: This is in response to a prompt from the Proboards about a taxi ride. I do not own TSOM and I'm only writing for fun and not profit. Reviews always welcome! Thanks and hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"It had been three weeks since Maria had left the Von Trapp Villa hastily on the night of the party. She had returned two weeks after that at the urging of the Mother Abbess to find that the Captain had become engaged to the Baroness. At the time she had been completely devastated and embarrassed for even thinking she had a shot with him, but no sooner had he announced his engagement did he he announce that the Baroness would be returning to Vienna and that there would be no wedding.

A week after that she was still working as his governess despite the fact that she had declared she would return to the Abbey as soon as another governess was found. It was too agonizingly painful for her to stay under the same roof with him knowing that he would probably never admit or share his feelings about the evolution of their relationship. Up until that point she had been pretty successful at avoiding him, but it was becoming more and more difficult so when she had received a strange note this morning telling her an old friend wanted to surprise her, she was more than curious and used it as an opportunity to escape the massive house in Aigen and its master.

She now found herself waiting on this corner in the town square with no surprise visitor in sight. She sighed and was just about to give up waiting when a taxi suddenly pulled up to the curb. An older gentleman stepped out of the driver's side and asked, "Fraulein Maria?"

Maria raised her eyebrows in confusion, "Uh...yes?"

He opened the door to the back of the cab, "If you will please. I have been instructed to make sure you make it to your destination safely."

"My destination," she asked with some trepidation.

"Yes, by a Mr. Max Detweiller."

Now her curiosity had really peaked. She could not for the life of her begin to fathom what Max Detweiller could possibly have to do with this absurd situation. She shrugged, took a deep breath, and cautiously entered the cab. It seemed safe enough until she instantaneously felt the thud of another body plopping on the seat beside her.

Georg Von Trapp was running late and he ever ran late, but the note on his desk had gone unnoticed for the better part of the morning until he had found it buried underneath some other papers. He had been hiding away in his study trying to avoid his governess until he was forced to do so by fate. Her reaction to the news of the Baroness had not been at all what he had expected. She had immediately given her condolences with no indication at all that she would change her mind and now stay. He was in love with her and he had hoped that she with him, but all he seemed to be able to do was confuse her.

He stared at the note in his shaking hands, flipping it over nervously. The last time he had seen such a note the news in it made his stomach turn. He had put off trying to find another governess in hopes that she would change her mind, but here he was again, holding a note he was afraid to open. He finally willed himself to tear the edges open and read the contents.

 _Please meet me at the corner in front of the market at the town square. There will be a cab waiting for us._

 _Maria_

He looked at the writing one more time. It certainly didn't look like Maria's handwriting, but the note looked like it had been written hastily and he had no reason to doubt it. He looked at the clock and realized that he would have to leave now to have a shot at making it there on time. He grabbed his hat and coat and ran for the villa's door right past Max, wondering and hoping that maybe, just maybe, this was the chance he had been waiting for.

"Georg," Max called, "where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I have an errand to run. Maria is out, please be a worthy sponge and watch the children for awhile."

Before Max could respond, Georg was out the door, leaving him standing there with a cunningly smug smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Maria slowly turned her head toward the other occupant of the cab. Her eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of her mystery friend and then she quickly diverted them to her hands when her eyes met his. Captain Von Trapp smiled tenderly at her shyness and then cleared his throat, "Well I made it. I am sorry that I'm late Fraulein."

"That's quite all right, Captain," she twiddled her fingers nervously in her lap as she spoke, still not looking at him. "I have to admit though that even being somewhat curious about my mystery friend, I was not quite expecting you."

The Captain furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as the smile slowly faded from his face, "mystery friend? Didn't you invite me here knowingly?"

She looked out the side window, "Captain I have not the slightest idea of what you are talking about. You know full well that it was you who set up this meeting, not I."

The Captain felt a slight headache coming on as the temperature of his blood began to rise in a pulsating rhythm at his temples. He did not understand why women played such games and never expected Maria as the type to employ such tactics. "Maria," she froze to hear her given name come off of his lips as it were completely natural, "I most certainly did no. Now stop playing games and tell me why you asked me to meet you here."

Maria's head snapped toward the Captain and he could see a familiar fire behind the cool blue eyes that only he seemed to be able to light in her. "Playing games," she spit back at him, "well I never..." She folded her arms across her chest and turned to stare at the back of the driver's head with a hardened glare. "I have not, nor have I ever played games, as you call them, with men."

The Captain rolled his eyes exasperatedly. What was it about this woman that could send chills down his back while at the same time utterly infuriating him? He sighed in frustration. "Fine," he huffed, "If you want to continue playing this charade, I have the note you left for me in my pocket." He reached into the inside of his coat and pulled out a crumpled up piece of paper.

Without hesitation or even looking at him Maria reached into her own pocket and pulled out her own carefully folded note. "Well it just so happens that I too have my note with me."

They turned to each other at the same time, waving their individual notes in the air in front of the other's face. "Here, read this," they both shouted at each other simultaneously.

They exchanged papers and quickly read the contents of the other's note. "This is not my handwriting, Captain," declared Maria with an air of satisfaction.

"And this is not mine," answered Georg while shaking his head in a confused manner. "Let me see that," he held out his hand for Maria to place his note in. He put the two notes side by side and Maria watched silently as his crystal blue eyes darted back and forth across the words, "hmmm..."

"What is it," Maria asked curiously.

"These were written by the same person."

"Now who would do such a thing," asked Maria who was now completely perplexed. "The children perhaps?"

"No," he replied slowly,"not this time."

"Then who," asked Maria.

"These were both written by Max. I now recognize the handwriting." Georg took a deep breath and slowly released it while sheepishly whistling and avoiding Maria's eyes, "I..uh...suppose I owe you and apology, Fraulein. I am sorry."

"It's quite all right, Captain. I suppose I owe you one as well," she sighed. "Why would he go through all this trouble?"

Georg knew the answer to that question, but he couldn't exactly tell Maria without fearing she would runaway again. He remembered back to a few nights ago when he had confessed to Max that he was in love with his governess. Max had tried to persuade him to pursue those feelings, but Georg had told him all of his fears in doing so. He would rather have her close by than risk losing her all together and never see her again, but being in close proximity to her with no place to escape was almost more than he could bare. Max must have decided to take it upon himself to push him in the direction of finally telling Maria. "I really haven't the faintest notion," he shrugged, "while looking away from Maria so she couldn't tell he was lying. "Do you?"

"Yes...er...no," she quickly corrected, "not at all." She could feel her heart pounding in her chest at the awkwardness of the situation. She had finally come to the realization, with the help of the Reverend Mother, that she was indeed in love with the Captain as the Baroness had pointed out. One day after she had returned and the Captain had gone into town she had found herself confessing this to Max. She still wasn't completely sure how he had gotten the confession out of her.

"Well this awkward," Georg muttered under his breath.

"Pardon me," Maria asked.

He cleared his throat nervously, "If you want I can have the driver take us home, Maria."

"If you wish, Captain." Maria couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. It was just as she had expected, her feelings for him were completely one sided.

Georg put his attention forward, "Driver, would you mind taking us home please?"

"I cannot," he answered evenly, "I have strict orders to deny that request."

"You what," Georg practically yelled, "this is absurd, why it's kidnapping."

"Captain," Maria pleaded, "please calm down."

"Wait till I get my hands on him," he said through gritted teeth, "Max will wish he never...," he trailed off.

Maria's sense of adventure suddenly took over her senses. "Well he did go through all the trouble of putting whatever this is together. Perhaps we should just relax and try to enjoy the afternoon."

Realizing that it was probably coming across as if he did not want to spend the time with her, which couldn't have been farther form the truth, he calmed himself down and reached across the seat to pat her hand. He could feel her instantly tense at his touch and he immediately pulled away, "I'm sorry Maria. It's just that I have been privy to some of his toying ways before and I don't always trust his schemes"

"Do you think he would honestly try to harm us?"

He let out a long breath he didn't know he had been holding, "No, at least not intentionally." He could see her raise an eyebrow at him out of the corner of her eye. "Oh all right," he smiled, "Lets find out what he has up his sleeve."

Maria smiled back and the both settled into their seats nervously wondering what Max was up to.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry about the delay. I'm a teacher and I've been super busy with the end of year approaching. I promise I haven't abandoned this story. Thanks for understanding and I hope you enjoy this third chapter.**

They had been sitting in the cab for the past half hour in companionable silence, both nervous, but strangely comfortable at the same time. Neither one had dared to say a word to the other as the gently rolling green pastures moved by them eventually giving way to lush emerald meadows covered in edelweiss blossoms.

The quietness between them was becoming too much to bare for Maria and she finally broke the deafening silence between them, "Captain do you know where we are or where we are headed?"

"I'm not sure Fraulein, except that we are about an hour out of Salzburg and close to the Salzach River. I'm sorry for this little escapade, fraulein. I assure you Max will get his due."

"I''m not worried about it, Captain. Besides, you are not all that bad of a companion."

"Tonche, fraulein." He gave her a smile and a nod of his head. "I still wish I knew where we were headed." As if on cue the taxi suddenly swerved to the right side of the road and came to a complete halt.

The cab driver got out of the car and walked around the front of it to open the door for the couple in the back. "Well this is where I am suppose to let you out, sir, madame."

"Here," Georg said questioningly, "In the middle of nowhere?"

"Yes," nodded the cab driver, "I've been instructed to inform you that your destination is down this road just a little ways."

"Umm... you can't drive us down the road? Oh wait, let me guess, you have been instructed not to." He smiled sarcastically at him and Maria could see the veins in his neck begin to pop out.

The cab driver just stood their nodding and smiling as if he kept some great hidden secret behind his dark crinkly eyes.

Grumbling to himself Georg reached for Maria and without thinking or turning to say anything, grabbed her smaller hand in his and began to guide her down the road behind him. No sooner had they taken a few steps then they heard the sound of a motor reving up. They both instantaneously turned toward the loud noise to see the cab scurrying down the road in a cloud of dust.

Maria looked at Georg in panic who was still starring after the cab with lips pursed, eyes narrowing, and hands fidgeting at his side. It was a look that Maria had quickly come to recognize as the beginning signs of extreme agitation and anger, but as soon as he turned to Maria and saw the shocked expression on her face, eyes wide and eyebrows raised, his facial features softened a bit. This situation was really not her fault and he couldn't really blame her for it. No, he would reserve the building agitation bubbling up inside of him for Max after they made it home safely.

Georg sighed, "You said something about enjoying the afternoon, fraulein?"

"Oh Captain, I am sorry, perhaps we should have just convinced him to take us home."

"It's all right, it's not your fault that we are now stuck out here. I can't blame you for Max's bad behavior."

"Well what do we do now?"

"I guess we go find out what's down this road. Shall we?" He gestured for her to walk with him, but Maria was frozen in place, her eyes transfixed somewhere behind him. "Maria," he spoke gently, "shall we?"

Maria was jolted from her thoughts at the sound of her name rolling off of his lips. She felt her knees go weak as she looked at his concerned face.

"Are you all right?"

"Uh yes," she answered and she turned to walk down the tree lined path with Georg following and watching her warily.

He suddenly saw Maria come to a stop and he followed her gaze to a small clearing among the canopy of trees. There in the in the middle of nowhere was a small cottage with a wrap around porch and in front of it was a table set for two with a picnic basket in the middle.

Maria swallowed hard before asking, "You don't suppose that's for us do you?"

"Well the cottage appears to be empty and I certainly don't know who else it could possibly be set for. Wait here and I'll take a look." Georg approached the table and noticed a small envelope addressed to him next to the picnic basket. He carefully opened it and read the contents. It simply read:

'Here's your chance, good luck my friend.'

It wasn't signed. "It is for us," he motioned for Maria, "You might as well come and enjoy it. We might have a long walk back."

Maria found herself unable to move. She had never dined alone with the Captain before. The children had always been present, but the idea of doing so in such a private setting sent a myriad of emotions running through her, not the least of which was fear, fear that he would see right through her and realize the depths of her feelings for him. It petrified her and she could only think about how humiliating it would be for him to find out. Georg cleared his throat, "Fraulein, please." He motioned towards the chair this time.

Maria took a deep breath. There was really no way out of this one. She would just have to be careful to not reveal too much to him. She took one careful step forward and then another until she was sitting in the chair that the Captain had pulled out for her.

He walked around the table and carefully sat in his chair throwing Maria a weak smile. He absent mindedly scratched the side of his face with his fingers, "I suppose we should see what's in the basket."

He reached across the table and opened the top of the wicker basket and began to pull out its contents. The basket was full of meats and cheses, jam and bread, fruits, and an apple strudel for dessert.

Looking at all the food Maria instantly forgot about their situation and her mouth began to water with delight.

"Captain," Maria squeaked, "look at all that food!"

"At least good old Max wasn't planning on starving us to death. Shall we?"

"Yes," Maria shook her head eagerly, "Let's do." They both began to fill their plates and were soon consuming their food silently while the birds in the nearby trees chirped out their sweet melodies.

Georg finally broke the comfortable silence, "Maria..."

"It's beautiful out here with the birds singing happily in the trees and a quaint little cottage nestled among it all."

"Maria," he began a second time. She could feel her breath catch in her throat at the sound of his rich baritone voice calling her name yet again. He wanted to tell her everything about how he was feeling, about how his world had turned upside down when she left and how his heart had practically stopped beating when he saw her return only to be told she wouldn't stay, but he was finding it difficult to start the conversation. "I was wondering if you were ready for the strudel?"

"The what," she could barely get the words out.

"The strudel, would you like some?"

"Oh yes, yes please," she anxiously replied.

"I think we need to decide what we are going to do about getting back into town, Fraulein."

"We can always walk, Captain."

"We could, but I don't think that we will make it before dark. I think we should consider staying in this cottage for the night."

"Won't the children and Max be worried," asked a nervous Maria. Eating a private meal with the a Captain was one thing, but spending the night alone with him was an entirely different thing all together.

"I somehow doubt that," mumbled Georg.

"What did you say?"

"I said I think it would be better for them to be worried for one might than to have us not return at all. It will be safer this way."

"Uh... I really think we ought to at least try to make it back," said Maria panicking as she stood to pack the food back into the basket.

"Fraulein," Georg pushed his hands down on the table and stood from his chair, "it isn't safe and I will not jeopardize my life or yours. we are staying and there won't be another word about it."

Maria walked away from the table and turned to face him, her eyes shining with the same familiar spark of battle readiness he saw in them the day she challenged him about his children while standing soaking wet by the lake. It was an image that still haunted his thoughts with the way her dress clung to her slender figure in all the right places and her hair had matted to her face in perfect disarray.

He walked around the table and stopped just a few feet short of her, "Fraulein, I can see what you are thinking and I won't even entertain the idea of walking back down that long road after dark."

She stared at him in disbelief. He really had no idea at all what she was thinking. She was trembling on the inside at the thought of spending a night alone in a small intimate cottage with the man that she had been dreaming about inappropriately for the past few weeks. She put her hands on her hips and with a new resolve looked straight at him and adamantly said, "We just can't stay, Captain, we must walk back. It just would not be...would not be...er...appropriate."

She watched his eyes widen and then narrow as if he could suddenly see straight into the depths of the Hidden parts of her soul with a new understanding. He took a step toward her and chuckled in a frustrated manner, "Appropriate, Fraulein...yes, I see. It's now all starting to make sense."

Maria looked sheepishly down at the ground trying to hide the growing shade of pink passing across her cheeks, "Make sense, Captain?"

Georg straightened his posture, puffed put his chest, and raised his head higher with an air of indignant satisfsction. "Ah ha! It's not the children or Max you're worried about. It's me."

She swallowed hard, "You, Captain?" She crossed her arms in front of her and with as much courage as she could muster added, "I am most certainly not afraid of you!"

"Oh yes you are." He took another step towards her and this time she noticed he didn't stop moving. Her arms slowly flopped to her sides and she began to take a step backward for every step he took towards her, "you're scared to spend the night alone...with me...in the cottage. What are you so afraid of, Maria?"

Maria could feel her heart begin to beat faster with every step he took towards her. The alluring sound of his deep baritone voice was intoxicating, making it difficult for Maria to think. "I...uh...no...not at...not at all, Captain," she stumbled over the words while she faltered with them in her head. Maria took one more step backwards and came to a sudden halt as her back hit the table. Realizing her mistake her eyes widened with startlement and all she could do was stand there frozen to her spot as she watched him take the final steps towards her, unable to speak or breathe.

"You are afraid that if you have to spend the night with me alone that you might accidentally reveal how you actually feel about me." As he closed the gap between them, he now could see it all in her eyes, the fear, the excitement, the desperation, and the desire. It was the last of those that was the final undoing of all of his senses and he found he could not contain himself any longer.

Maria grasped the table behind her as she watched his eyes grow darker, but before she could escape in any one direction, his lips were upon her and she felt her head swimming in circles. She moved her hands to his chest to try and push him away, but then without any hesitation she felt herself melt into him and her hands slowly glided upward over his shoulders and into his hair. Any thoughts of resistance she may have had were now gone.

It wasn't the deepest of kisses but it wasn't chaste either. Her lips were every bit as soft and sweet against his as he had ever dreamed them to be and it caused goosebumps to run up and down the length of his body. His heart was beating so wildly in his chest that he knew she must have been feeling the effects of it. He smirked inwardly when he felt her resistance fade and her body relax against his. He wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms and run her straight into the cottage, but instead he did what he knew to be right and released his lips from her, already feeling the loss of connection and desiring more.

He watched as her eyes fluttered open to look at his. He didn't have to search long into the bright shimmering blueness staring back at him. He saw the love and affection in them and a small smile spread across his face, "I love you, Maria."

He could see any last tension and trepidation leave her facial features at those four spoken words and she collapsed into him, laying her head against his shoulder. His arms instantly went around her smaller frame and his fingers immediately stroked her hair on the back of her neck, sending a tingling sensation up and down her spine. He moved his hands around to cup her face and tilted t up towards his so she was looking at him, "Now, will you please listen to me and trust me and just stay put for the night?"

The trust and adoration in her eyes gave him her answer before she even spoke it. Sighing in defeat, she nodded, "All right, I trust you completely. I always have because the truth is that I love you too, Captain."

He flashed a crooked smile at her that made her go weak in the knees and he tapped her nose playfully, "I knew you would see it my way." He watched as she smiled and rolled her eyes at him. "Come on let's get this stuff up." He looked upwards at the clouds forming, "I have a feeling we might get some rain out of those."

They quickly gathered their things together and entered the small house to wait out the night together.

 **TBC**


End file.
